Polar Analytics - Software Engineer (Data & AI)

• You’ll work on core systems: data pipelines, semantic layers, RAG, AI evaluation, experimentation,and products used daily by thousands of merchants. • This isn’t a ticket-taking role. You’ll: • Own problems end-to-end (design → production) • Tackle hard infra challenges (petabytes, near real-time, high reliability) • Talk directly to users to understand failure modes + edge cases • Ship fast prototypes, then harden them into real systems • Help shape what we build next as we scale • We move quickly, optimize for leverage, and care a lot about doing things right as we grow. We use Claude Code and Cursor very heavily. • If you’re looking for more impact and responsibility than your current role offers, apply below :) • Our Hiring Process 📝 • We believe in a structured, fair, and transparent hiring process. While the steps may vary by role, here’s what you can expect: • 1. Founder Screen (20 mins): A call to talk through your current/past experience and your motivations and tell you more about Polar Analytics. • Founder Screen (20 mins): • 2. Technical Interview 1 (1 hour): Here, you'll meet our team to solve a problem live. The interview will focus on real problems we face at Polar. • Technical Interview 1 (1 hour): • 3. Technical Interview 2 (1 hour): This interview usually consists of a practical case study. • Technical Interview 2 (1 hour): • 4. Culture Interview (1 hour): A conversation with one of our Culture Champions. We assess your team fit based on our values (see below). • Culture Interview (1 hour): • We value your time and effort in the application process, and we aim to provide feedback as quickly as possible. • Two non-negotiable values: • We want to be a 10x startup - starts with everyone having 10x impact • The superceding principle. Prioritize actions with the highest expected impact. If it does not move the needle, do not do it. • Customer obsession - exists only to help users. • We exist to create value for brands and users. Never ship or act in ways that harm them. Every initiative must clearly increase user value or remove friction to realizing value. • Some operating principles • The only way to win is to move fast • Try 100 things vs the competitor’s one attempt • Action precedes information • Every person and every system improves each week. • Growth is compounding. • Hold a weekly retro and a weekly forward plan. • Be ruthless on standards, never rude in delivery. • Disagree directly, commit fully once a decision is made. • We are here to win, not to be right, or to do what we wish • Do what it takes to win. “Not my scope” is not an excuse. Do what makes us win, not what we feel like doing. • Set goals you believe in, then hit them. If at risk, reforecast early with a plan to close gaps. • Behaviors we do not tolerate • Low or no impact. • Lack of desire to win. • Accepting passive failure. • Actions that harm users or sacrifice long‑term user value. • Politics and “winning the argument” over winning the market.